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The Mistake Made by 1time

1time Airlines, based in South Africa, made a mistake that many believe was the beginning of the end for the airline. They chose to operate with the cheapest and oldest fleet of aircraft they could find, the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 twin-engine jet airliners. These aircraft are designed for short- and medium-haul flights, but they also are expensive to fuel and when the price of oil began to rise, the operating costs became too much to bear.

Chris Zweigenthal, CE of the Airlines Association of Southern Africa, said that any airlines that operate with these aircraft will experience a 25% to 35% loss in fuel efficiency over those airlines that operate with newer, midsize aircraft. The McDonnell Douglas aircraft also carry fewer passengers than the modern equivalent, the Boeing 737-800, which is the aircraft of choice for carriers such as easyJet and Ryanair. The cost of fuel and fewer seats means 1time will have 50% less in revenue per seat than their competitors.

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